


Smells Like Boyfriend Material

by KumiiKumii



Category: Prince of Stride: Alternative (Anime)
Genre: A couple of dorks being cute, Bread, Comedy, Fluff, M/M, Romance, Shopping, Some angst, Some feels, fluffy fluff, love advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-06-12
Packaged: 2018-06-04 03:42:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6639982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KumiiKumii/pseuds/KumiiKumii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Riku and Takeru are close team mates, and even closer friends. After the End of Summer competition ends, the two have the opportunity to spend more time with one another. Takeru begins to wonder if they are more than just good friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Takeru stepped into the club room, earlier than the rest of the members. Of course, it wasn't unusual for him. He enjoyed stride, and often showed up the earliest and stayed the latest when it came to practices. What did surprise him was that Riku happened to be in the room before him. He was fast asleep, slumped forward on a table with his head down. 

Why was he so early? Curiosity gnawed at the black haired first year as he walked over to him, gently nudging him to see it he would wake. No response. His hand brushed against the brunette's hair, and he paused, before quickly drawing back his hand. 

"..soft..."

He reached his hand out again, rubbing it through Riku's hair. His hair was fluffier than it looked, and Takeru felt as if he was petting a dog rather than a person. Without meaning to, he spend a good few minutes just combing his fingers through the sandy brown hair.

"Mmm..?" Riku stirred, amber eyes looking up at Takeru groggily. It took him a couple seconds to register the fact Takeru had his hand in his hair. "What're you doing?"

"...it looked fluffy." Takeru replied simply, pulling his hand away. He really didn't have any other explanation. He just wanted to feel it. Riku gave him a weird look, but didn't press any further. Instead, he pushed back his chair and stood, stretching.

"Takeru, are you free today by any chance?"

Takeru's eyes narrowed at the question. Was Riku going to suggest what he thought he was going to?

"After practice, yes."

"I really wanna go to this new clothing store in town. I heard they have really nice jackets, and they're holding a sale today!" 

"...after. Practice."

Riku let out a wail in protest. "But Takeeeru! Can't we miss one day of training? Pleeeease? I don't think the seniors would mind it..." He pouted, eyes wide with dismay. It was difficult to turn the brunette down... not with a face like that. 

"But training..."

"We can make up for it tomorrow or something. I wanna go right now!" Riku whined, crossing his arms. 

"Can't you go alone?" Takeru frowned.

"It's not fun if I go alone! Besides, winter is coming soon and you need a nice wardrobe for the season!"

With that, he was dragged along for yet another shopping session with the brunette.

\-------------

Takeru kept checking his phone anxiously as Riku cheerfully went through racks of clothes at the store. He knew it wasn't going to be long before their team mates started to call or text them to ask where they were. He soon set the phone to silent mode as Riku returned to him, arms full of jackets and sweaters to try on. Riku set the pile aside on the nearby rack before holding up one of the sweaters.

"What do you think of this one?" Riku asked. It was a dark, navy blue colour with large black buttons on the side. Takeru looked at it, tilting his head to the side.

"It looks... nice." He didn't know much about fashion. He usually let Riku make most of the decisions when it came to picking out clothes.

"Try it on, try it on! I wanna see how it looks on you!" The brunette pressed the sweater against Takeru's chest. Takeru took his glasses off before pulling on the sweater over top of his shirt. When the shirt was on, Riku looked him up and down critically. Satisfied with his choice, his smile widened.

"It looks great on you! We should definitely buy it." He said as Takeru took off the sweater, folding it back up neatly and handing it over.

"We'll have to go to the change room to put the other ones on.. I don't know if they can fit over your shirt like the last one." Riku gestured to the rest of the pile. 

"That's fine." Takeru started heading towards the changeroom. It was going to be a long day for the black-haired freshman.. though, if it was with Riku, he didn't mind it much.

\-------------

After spending the day shopping, Takeru found himself more tired than he expected. Who knew trying on so many clothes and visiting countless shops could tire someone out so easily? Riku seemed to be in high spirits after the trip, carrying the bags of clothes with zest.

"That was fun! We should do this more often." Riku said, glancing at Takeru with a grin. 

"Yeah." Takeru nodded in response, fixated on the other's amber eyes. He liked the way they glowed with happiness. He couldn't stop staring at them for some reason, and it made him feel quite strange inside, as if he was filled with a fuzzy warm sensation. "It would be nice."

"You have my number, so call me whenever!"

"I'll be sure to do that." A smile formed on his own face. Subtle, but definitely there.

"I'll see you tomorrow! Bye, Takeru!" Riku waved before running off, going home. 

Takeru felt a small pang of sadness as he watched Riku leave, his figure growing smaller in the distance.

"See you tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takeru isn't sure what to do... so he goes to the second-years for some dating advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the super long delay, everyone!

Staring at the ceiling of the clubroom, Takeru softly hummed to himself as he thought. One of Galaxy Standard's songs had been stuck in his head.. RUSH, was it called? It was pretty catchy.

Across the room, the second-years were playing a rather heated game of shogi. If he hadn't known they were playing shogi, he would've assumed they were having a full-out brawl with all the fuss they were causing.

"You can't drop a piece there! Don't be a cheater!"

"I let you do a take-back last game-"

"That's different! Completely different!"

A shogi piece went flying in the midst of their arguing, somehow managing to hit Takeru in the face. He picked it off the ground, examining it carefully. It was one of the kings. 

"...." He tossed it back in their direction. With their scuffling, he couldn't tell if they got it or not. Oh, well. He leaned back against the couch, an idea slowly forming in his mind.

"...Kohinata-senpai. Kadowaki-senpai." Takeru spoke up, rising from his seat. When they didn't hear him at first, he raised his voice. The two looked up from their fighting, staring up at him expectedly. 

"What is it, Fujiwara?" Ayumu adjusted his glasses. 

"I need some help." 

The two older students exchanged confused looks between themselves before looking back at Takeru. 

"What is it?"

The raven fidgeted slightly. "I... like someone." Hearing the confession, the two students snickered amongst themselves.

"Our Fujiwara.. likes something besides protein and running? That's new." Ayumu whispered in a hushed voice.

"What do you think this means, Kadowaki-san?" Hozumi replied, looking puzzled. "Is this really the Fujiwara we know? Is it an imposter-"

"I can hear you." Takeru said plainly, looking irritated. Perhaps the second-years weren't the best people to ask for love advice, considering neither of them had been in a relationship... still, they usually had some knowledge on everything. It was better than no one; besides, who else would Takeru ask? 

Ayumu cleared his throat, pushing his glasses up. "Have no fear, Fujiwara! Your great senpai will help you through this tough stage of your life!" Hozumi handed the green-haired boy a marker and he started scribbling something down on the whiteboard. 

"You see, romance is very simple if you look at this easy acronym..." Ayumu pointed to the board, which now read "L.O.V.E" on it.

"Love?" Takeru stared at it.

"Precisely! It stands for Lots Of Vigorous Emotions!" Ayumu explained. Hozumi nodded in agreement.

"Lots of... is that what it really stands for?" Takeru frowned. Perhaps this was a bad choice after all. 

Ayumu cleared the board and started drawing something else on it. A couple of stick people with hearts over their heads.

"Now, you see.. love is very unpredictable."

"You can fall in love with anyone, at any time!" Hozumi piped up. 

"Sometimes it's just puppy love..." Ayumu doodled a cartoon dog beside the stick people, "But sometimes it can be true love, so you have to be very careful!"

"What should I do?" Takeru asked. 

"A good first step is to spend a lot of time with the person you like.' Ayumu suggested.

"I already do that... but I'm not sure if they know I like them."

"You should try buying them a gift! Like, flowers! If you give them flowers, they'll probably take the hint." Hozumi replied. 

"Flowers?"

The two second-years nodded energetically. 

"If you say so.."

\-------------

Standing outside of Riku's house early in the morning with flowers in his hands, the boy wasn't sure what to expect. This was more difficult than anything he had done.. more difficult than any Stride match he had been in. If Riku didn't feel the same way he did, he wasn't sure what he would do.

Taking a deep breath, Takeru knocked on the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takeru confesses to Riku.

Takeru waited for Riku to open the door, feeling his palms growing sweaty as the time passed. He tapped his foot impatiently, trying to find some way to release his nervous energy. What was taking him so long, anyway? He was about to turn away and go home when the door opened with a creak. Without thinking, the raven haired male shoved the flowers forwards, hitting Riku in the face with enough force it made him fall backwards on his rear.

"F-Fujiwara?!" 

Some petals from the bouquet got stuck in his hair, a rather humourous sight Takeru would've smiled at if he wasn't in a panic at the moment.

"I... uh.. flowers... you. Give." Takeru mumbled, the words unintelligible.

He was met with a blank stare and a "what?" from the brunette.

"These. For you. These are for you." Takeru finally managed out, his face a deep red shade. "Please accept them."

"Flowers?" Riku raised a brow, still not getting the connection. "Why're you giving me flowers?"

"I..." He trailed off, unable to find the courage to say it. Unluckily for him, Riku interjected.

"Oh, I know! You found a girl and you're trying to practice your confession with me?"

"Th-that is... not it at all." Takeru shook his head. His hands were beginning to tremble. Oh, god. Why couldn't things go his way? There was no way Riku was going to take him seriously at all. "I.. I actually.." He gulped.

"Like you."

Silence grew, a chasm of emptiness that separated them.

Riku spoke up first, avoiding eye-contact with him. "Like me? Like.. as friends sort of thing? H-haha, flowers are kind of a weird way to express that, but I guess you're just weird like that."

"No. That's not what I mean. I like you in another way. I love you."

Riku turned his head away, fidgeting with his collar. "I-I don't understand."

"You know what I mean." Riku could be thick-skulled at times, but surely he understood what was happening here, didn't he?

"I... I don't get it." Riku flinched. Takeru's bluntness was a little too harsh.

"I love you... so I bought you flowers. I thought you would like them." Takeru explained.

"I still don't get it. Wh-what do you mean by 'love'? Is that another term for best friends?" Riku asked, a nervous laugh escaping him. "You can't just tell people you love them more than a friend... that's some serious stuff."

"I'm being serious." Takeru responded, his voice lowering. His shoulders were hunched, a look of defeat present in his eyes. Did Riku not see them as anything more than just friends? He felt his heart sink. No way...

Riku caught onto this. "H-hey, now.. I didn't say you couldn't love me... it's just really weird, you know?"

"So.. I take it you don't like me back." It was getting harder and harder to swallow the rejection. Yet as much as he wanted to turn and run away, his legs felt like lead and he couldn't move a single inch from his spot.

"No, it's not that -"

"Riku. Tell me. Do you love me back or not?" A simple answer was all he wanted. Beating around the bush would only drag it on. Riku stared down at his feet.

"It's not that I don't like you back..." He bit his lip. "It's more that... I don't understand why it's me."

"What do you mean?" Takeru lowered the bouquet of flowers.

"Aren't there better people out there you could be dating?" Hearing those words come out of Riku's mouth made his heart twist in pain, even more so than before. A rejection he might've been able to bear... but seeing him doubt himself like this made him feel worse.

"Riku, we talked about this before. At practice. We're equals." Takeru frowned. He wanted to step closer to him, perhaps embrace him or comfort him in some way. They had gone through a lot of hardships together, working to overcome them and they had grown stronger as a pair.. so why was Riku still thinking he was inferior to him? Takeru took a step forward, reaching up to gently brush a hand against the other's cheek.

"..." Riku shooed his hand and turned away from him. "I'm sorry, Takeru, but you deserve someone better. I'm sure you have eyes for some cute girl in our grade, right? You have a lot of fans who would be willing to date you. Maybe you'll get lucky and find someone really smart or athletic... or someone who appreciates protein like you! I'm just not that person. Please, find someone else.." The brunette's hand hovered over the door, about to go back inside. 

Takeru reached over, placing his own hand over Riku's.

"No. None of them are Riku Yagami."

Riku hesitated, looking back at Takeru. He hadn't expected him to say that. "Takeru..."

Takeru moved his hands, wrapping them gently around Riku's waist. The flower bouquet had been dropped, long forgotten now.

"Riku, please listen. You mean everything to -"

Riku pulled away from him, retreating back inside his house.

\-------------

A few minute after Riku had left, the door opened again. Takeru, who had been sitting down on the porch looked up to see Tomoe standing over him.

"Fujiwara?" 

"...sorry.. I'll get going." Takeru picked up the bouquet and started to leave, but Tomoe stopped him.

"Look.. I'm sorry about Riku. He hasn't been in a good mood all day. I'm sure if you tried talking to him some other time he'd be more than happy to chat." 

"I see.." Takeru sighed quietly. "When do you think that'll be?"

"Probably pretty soon. He doesn't usually stay mad for long."

"Hmm.." Takeru paused. "Do you know anything that might make him feel better?"

"Maybe if you took him out to a cafe or something. He's been going to the one across the street a lot lately, he loves the food a there."

"Yagami-san..."

"Yes?"

"What is.. love?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure the two will make up soon... don't give up, Takeru! Love will always prevail... right?!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takeru is trying to deal with rejection. On the other hand, Tomoe comforts a distressed Riku.

"He's been staring at the wall for almost an hour already... do you think he's alright?" Ayumu whispered to Hozumi. The two worried second-years were looking at Takeru, who was sitting cross-legged in the club room, facing the wall. His gaze was fixed on the wall, unwavering. 

"Do you think it's about Yagami?"

"Should we ask him?"

"I'm kind of afraid to." Hozumi frowned. "He might get mad."

"Maybe we should try to distract him. Keep his mind off of it." Ayumu cautiously approached Takeru and tapped him on the shoulder. "Um, Fujiwara.. wanna go out for a run?"

Takeru didn't look at him. "I don't want to run anymore."

"What!?" Ayumu took a step back. "What - why not?"

"Riku isn't here." Takeru said simply. 

"He's still a part of the club." Hozumi said quietly. "He's not gone forever."

"Riku isn't here." He repeated, his hand clenching his chest, over his heart. Neither Hozumi nor Ayumu knew what to do. 

"Uh.. maybe he's just not feeling well? Maybe he's sick or something." Ayumu suggested. "I'm sure he'll be more than happy to be with you when he's feeling better -"

"He won't."

"Maybe he needs some time to think about it still? It was a little bit sudden." Hozumi offered. "You should let him be for a while. I'm sure he'll change his mind. And if not..."

"...." Takeru didn't respond. 

"We should leave him alone, Kohinata-san." Ayumu said in a hushed tone. "I don't think we're helping." With that, they quickly slipped out of the room.

\-------------

Tomoe knocked lightly on his brother's bedroom door. It didn't open. He knocked again.

"Riku, please open the door."

"No."

"You've been in here all day. You even missed school, didn't you? I'm worried about you. Your team mates even stopped by to check up on you, too." 

"I don't care." Tomoe sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Will you at least listen to me for a few minutes?"

Silence.

Tomoe leaned against the wall. "I don't know what's wrong, but if you don't tell me anything I won't be able to help you. It's not good to shoulder the weight of your problems alone.. that's what your family and friends are for. Helping you."

"How can you help me?" 

"I don't know, but I'll try my best. You're my little brother and I don't like seeing you upset like this. It really hurts." Tomoe closed his eyes, memories returning to him. The day Riku said he would quit Stride because of him.. it brought back a sharp pang in his chest. He hadn't intended to hurt him in any way. He really hadn't. He only wanted Riku to show his true potential...

"Does it really?" The response made Tomoe's eyes widened.

"It does, Riku. I never meant to hurt you back then, and I still don't mean to. I love you." He hoped the strain in his voice wouldn't reach his brother's ears. What he needed now was a strong support, not someone who was nearly on the verge of tears himself. 

The door opened a crack. Tomoe took the chance to open it further. He wasted no time pulling Riku into a warm hug, ruffling his messy hair.

"Riku, I'm really sorry." He murmured. "You should know I'm really proud of you now. You're a lot stronger than before, and it really shows."

Riku's hands gripped Tomoe's shirt tightly. "Tomoe... I... I don't know what to do."

"What's wrong?"

"Takeru.. he.. he confessed to me yesterday. I-I rejected him because I thought I wasn't good enough for him.. he's probably mad at me now, or something. I don't know what to do."

"You can start with telling him how you feel."

"How can I do that?"

"I happen to know this nice little cafe that serves really good smoothies..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love will find a way--


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Riku asks Takeru to meet him at the cafe where he tells him his true feelings.

Riku's text message was brief:

"Meet me at the cafe by the bakery at 12."

A simple instruction, and yet seeing the message light up his phone made his heart race. Takeru wasted no time getting dressed, taking care to put on a nice shirt and jeans before he headed out. Normally, he would have gone there in his work out clothes, but considering the situation he figured he should put in a little effort.

It wasn't difficult to locate the cafe that Riku was referring to. There weren't many cafes by the bakery his family worked at, and it took even less time to get there if he ran. He checked his phone - he was fifteen minutes early. Knowing Riku, he wouldn't show up for some time.

Takeru pushed open the door to the cafe and was surprised to see who was waiting for him.

"Riku."

The brunette formed a small smile. "You're early, Takeru."

"You're even earlier."

"Come, sit down. I got us a seat by the window." Riku led him to the table. They sat across from each other. 

"So this place..." Takeru glanced around the cafe. It was small and cozy, giving off a homely atmosphere that was rather comforting. It seemed like only a few people were on staff, and even fewer customers. It was a little odd... considering it was lunch time, shouldn't there be more customers?

"Most people go to bigger restaurants or coffee shops at this time." Riku explained. "This cafe is usually more busy in the morning and late at night. It's really quiet right now."

"Ah." Takeru nodded, hand moving to pick up the menu from the table. Flipping through it, he noticed drinks were the most popular items. Smoothies, teas, coffees, slushies... there was some baked goods, too. "I think I'll order a small milkshake." 

"Is that it?" Riku looked at him, almost expectant.

"Today is one of my light training days, so I don't want to go overboard." The other gave him an odd look, but decided not to press the matter.

"I think I'll go with a milkshake too." Riku decided. When the waitress came over, he told her their orders. 

"So.." Takeru folded up the menu and passed it over to the waitress who took it away. "Did you call me for something in particular?" He might as well get to the point. His feelings were mixed up since his confession and he wanted a straight answer from Riku. Riku dodged his stare, fidgeting with the collar of his shirt.

"Well.. I guess you already know what it's about." He started. "And you probably don't like me anymore after what happened... but I.. I like you. I like you a lot." 

"Riku. Why aren't you looking at me?" Takeru asked. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Riku covered his red face with his hands. "N-no, it's not that! It's not that at all! It's just that.. I-I can't say something like that to your face! Your face is really really cute and it makes me really nervous, okay?"

The outburst surprised Takeru. He couldn't help but smile with relief. He had worried that Riku was too absorbed in his own flaws to acknowledge how much he was loved. 

Takeru reached out, tugging Riku's hands away from his face. 

"You're cute too.. don't hide that face from me." Takeru murmured. He could've sworn Riku's face went a few shades darker.

"T-Takeru! How am I supposed to react to something like that?!"

Takeru laughed, pulling his hand away. "Does this mean it's official?" 

"Official?"

"That we're dating?"

"If you don't mind."

"This isn't about minding." Takeru frowned. "If I love you and you love me back, then we're boyfriends." At least, that's how the second-years had put it. 

"Boyfriends?" The word sounded strange to his ears, but it was a good kind of strange. It sounded nice. It sounded right. "I guess we are boyfriends now, yes."

\-------------

On the other side of the cafe, Ayumu lowered the newspaper that was obscuring his face. "What's the status, Kohinata-san?" 

"I think they've made up. They're both smiling and looking happy."

"Then the mission was a success!"

"Was it really necessary to follow Fujiwara all the way to this cafe to check up on them?" Hozumi raised a brow, putting down his binoculars. "I mean, we could've just waited for tomorrow to find out, or texted them..."

"The first-years are important for the success of our club! If something broke them up, our club would turn to ruins!"

"Does the club matter so much for you, Ayumu?"

"..I already told you, it means a lot to me." The green-haired teen smiled, a wistful look on his face. "Whenever a conflict happens, I can't help but step in. I mean.. you guys are pretty much my only friends, you know. If something happened to any of you, I don't know what I'd do."

"Aww, Ayumu." Hozumi sat down beside him. "You're such a softie." He was about to say something else when Ayumu elbowed him sharply.

"Hey. Is that Tomoe?" He pointed to a table near them. The tall, lithe figure was unmistakable. What was Riku's brother doing here? The two second-years quickly hid behind the newspaper, but it was too late. The Kakyoin runner was already walking over.

"You two are Riku's team mates, aren't you?"

"U-um... uh.. we.. we're just.. a couple of teenagers having lunch!" Ayumu sputtered.

"Yes, a couple of teenagers!" Hozumi added.

"You know, a couple of teenagers in young love-"

Tomoe shook his head, smiling. "Were you worried about them too?"

"Maybe just a little bit.." Hozumi mumbled.

"It's our duty as their elders to ensure their wellbeing." Ayumu said. 

"That's what I'm here for, too." Tomoe chuckled, looking across the cafe at the two younger students. "But I don't think they're going to need any help from us. They're getting along just fine."

"A mission success." Ayumu repeated, relaxing. 

"Mission?" Tomoe arched a brow.

\-------------

After finishing their milkshakes, the two stopped on their way out of the cafe. 

"So... I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school?" Riku said, trying to sound nonchalant. It was hard to sound calm when his chest was full of butterflies.

"Yes. Make sure you're not late."

This was the moment where they should've parted ways, yet neither of them could. They were rooted to the spot. An awkward silence drifted between them.

"Uh.. I'll be.. going." Riku coughed into his sleeve. He still didn't move. He realized that the look in Takeru's eyes was keeping him captive.

"Riku."

Riku blinked a few times. "What is it?"

"I want.. something." 

"Huh? Are you hungry? We can go to my place, my parents have tons of stuff we could snack on."

"No, it's not food." Takeru was nervously swaying on the spot. 

"Just say it."

"I want... a kiss."

Riku's eyes widened. What was he supposed to do? He looked around. People paid them no mind, passing by them without so much as a look. Could they really do something that intimate in public? Besides that, did either of them even know how to?

"Takeru-" He didn't have much time to complain. Takeru's hand was already cupping his cheek, bringing his face towards his own. By the time Riku's mind could register it, the kiss was already gone. A light brush of lips against his own and it was over. He couldn't speak or react, just stand there stupidly as Takeru pulled away. 

"I'll see you tomorrow." 

Riku watched as Takeru left, watching as his figure grew smaller and smaller in the distance. He moved his fingers to touch his lips, where Takeru had kissed him. A kiss so gentle he wasn't sure if it was a kiss at all, or a butterfly gracing his lips.

"I'll see you tomorrow too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Making some bold moves there, Takeru?


End file.
